Yo quiero ser el Zorro 6-pack Author: Bronwyn Tainui ISBN: 9780790329192 Copyright Date: 2007 Grade Level: 2 Reading Level: H Strategy/Skill: Analyzing themes, Author's purpose, Main ideas, Summarizing Genre: Realistic Fiction Theme/Topic: Family, School and Community Classification: Fiction Fluency: Fluent

Overview

In this narrative, Josh is disappointed when he is given the part of the rabbit in the school play, but no one seems to understand his problem. Finally, Josh comes up with a way to make the best of the situation.

Suggested Purposes

This text supports the comprehension strategies of understanding the author’s purpose; summarizing the main ideas; and interpreting and analyzing characters’ feelings, relationships, and actions. It’s a good model of a narrative with a satisfying and positive conclusion.  The lively dialogue encourages expressive reading.

Text features (Focus on only one or two per session.)

• the themes of cooperation and determination, of overcoming challenges, and of self-discovery
• the relationships between the characters and the different points of view
• the way Josh resolves the situation
• the high proportion of dialogue
• the strong narrative structure and the satisfying ending
• the indicators of time – the next day, that evening, when, on the night, soon, later
• the change in pace from page 8 once Josh has made his decision
• the large number of lively verbs – talked, hopped, bobbed, flapped, tricked, laughed, cheered, clapped
• the imperative verbs – hop, make, try
• the variety of word endings – ed, ing, er
• the comparative adjectives – higher, faster, later
• the irregular past-tense verbs – had, said, chose, put
• the contractions – couldn’t, didn’t, don’t, that’s, I’d, I’ll, you’ll, you’re
• the singular and plural forms on page 4 – that and those, and this and these
• the initial consonant blends – cl, fl , pl, sch, sm, st, tr
• the digraphs -ch – chose, children, cheered; -gh – laugh, laughed, laughs
• the doubled consonants – hopped, bobbed, flapped, clapped
• the possessive apostrophe – Josh’s
• the “y” with an “ee” sound – funny, everyone, silly; with a long “I” sound – try, why
• the “ight” rime – right, night

For more information please see our Lesson Plan